The Upbringing of a Snape
by The Muggleborn Witch
Summary: Severus Snape is Harry Potter's real father. That Halloween night, Severus takes his son to raise him with the help of his friends.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, this is my first attempt at writing a Potter fanfic. I've been reading a lot of 'Snape is Harry's father' stories lately and this just sort of came to me and it's been stuck in my head since so I figured I needed to write it. There are a few things you should probably know before reading... first off I am American so any mistakes I make with anything British/Scottish, etc related I am sorry about right now. I will try and do some research before posting anything though._

_The pairs that will happen throughout this story are past Severus/Lily, past Lily/James, Sirius/Remus, Lucius/Narcissa & Michael/Elizabeth Granger (though there probably wont be anything beyond kissing or cuddling for any of them in this story). This is also Mpreg (in mention only). I know it's impossible but really, this is fanfic not to mention MAGIC! So if that isn't your cup of tea, I'm sorry._

_Well, I hope you like!_

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The streetlights dimmed as two men clad in black, one slacks and tee shirt, the other billowing robes and cloak, swiftly but quietly walked down the side of the road. Tucked in the taller man's arms, covered by his cloak was a soft blanket swaddled infant, fast asleep. The man in question took a moment to look down into the sweet face of the baby, his black eyes focusing on the rigid lightning bolt shaped wound that only just formed on the child's forehead an hour before. He frowned, wishing he had just been a few minutes faster, then his beloved wife would still be alive and with him and their son.

Instead, Severus Snape was going into hiding with only his fifteen month old son, Harry. All because The Dark Lord had marked his son as the one the Prophecy had foretold about. Only a handful of people, one of which walked swiftly at his side, knew the truth behind the child's biology and due to a paternity concealment charm that was to wear off now by morning due to Lily's death, nobody else was the wiser. Nobody questioned when Lily Evans had left Severus Snape for James Potter to build what they all believed a much better life. Severus had wanted to laugh when nobody who didn't know the truth questioned who the father of Lily's child was after his birth just seventh months later.

In all instances Henry James Snape was really Harry James Potter.

It had been he, Severus, to tell The Dark Lord of the prophecy, unknown at the time that his own son would be born a month early and endanger his life. It was after Severus had gone to Albus Dumbledore for protection for his beloved Lily and Harry. The day of his son's first birthday was the last day he had seen either of his loved ones as they had been whisked away into hiding by Dumbledore. Until just an hour ago when he had learned of the attack on the Potter house and raced to get there before he lost everything.

Severus however had not been prepared for what he saw when he had first apparated right outside the once beautiful but now destroyed home. When he had entered the home he was quick to fine the body of James Potter at the top of the stairs, dead. As he stepped through the hall, right for the nursery, Severus had been afraid of what he would find. All his mind could conjure were horrific images of his beautiful red-headed wife and precious little boy dead, eyes now unseeing. When he had finally reached the destroyed nursery and stepped inside, his blood ran cold and his heart stopped. There laying in the middle of the room was his Lily.

It took him moments of grieving for his loss, holding her cold body to his own as he cried out in pain and anger before the cries of a child filled his ears. When he looked up and into the memorizing emerald green eyes of his son, realization set in. The child, the boy, his son was still breathing, still alive. Severus knew then what needed to be done, what he should have done all those months ago. He and his son would not be safe with The Dark Lord's loyal Death Eaters still out there. He knew there were a few who spied for the light among them, he himself was one of them, but there were many that would want to go after the infant that seemed to have stopped The Dark Lord's reign.

He knew he did not have to worry about The Dark Lord himself. He had seen the bastard's wand laying on the ground by Lily's body. He had felt the pain in his left arm where the Dark Mark marred his skin. The pain had been excruciating but had been what sent Severus running for Lily. The Dark Lord, Voldemort, was gone. Severus didn't believe the evil man to be dead exactly but in all things important, the bastard was gone. With only one look at his son, seeing the bleeding lightning bolt shaped wound on his forehead and Severus had a pretty good idea what had happened. Lily had sacrificed herself for their son. He knew this because Severus had begged The Dark Lord to spare her and the man had agreed as long as she did not stand in his way.

Severus was not afraid to say he would've done the same thing, wished he had been there to do so. Then his Lily would be alive to raise their son instead of him. Severus quickly pulled his wand from his robes and sent off a Patronus to Dumbledore before swiftly but carefully snatching up the infant into his arms. The child seemed to cling to Severus as much as the man was holding onto the child. Severus had been afraid if he let the boy go the child would disappear.

After sending off the Patronus about the fate of the Potters, Severus stood there holding his son. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to mourn for the loss of his wife and the idea that he was finally free from The Dark Lord. He wasn't sure what Dumbledore would due upon learning of Lily and James' deaths but he knew one thing for certain, he would not allow the old coot to take his son from him again. He knew it wouldn't be long before someone else came along to discover the fate of the Potters so when he heard the light footsteps in the hall behind him, Severus was ready. He turned to face to intruder with his wand at the ready and a curse on his lips. He kept his son close to his chest as the boy settled down, all crying stopped.

When he saw that it was just one of James' friends, Sirius Black, Severus lowered his wand but kept it out. There was no way he wasn't going to be cautious just because he felt slightly safer knowing it wasn't one of The Dark Lord's Death Eaters checking on their master. It had only taken Severus a second to remember Sirius had not been the secret-keeper for his Lily and son, but Peter Pettigrew. He was not to know but he had been in the room when Pettigrew told The Dark Lord only days before where to find the Potters. Severus had gone straight to Dumbledore as soon as he could. He had thought Dumbledore would have moved them before it was too late.

Sirius didn't say anything at first as his pain filled eyes swept over Lily's body on the floor before settling on Severus holding the infant to his chest. Soon he nodded.

"Dumbledore sent me, told me to bring you and Harry to him."

Severus had wanted to argue that his son's name was Henry but everyone was used to calling the boy Harry due to their cover (and really they had only chosen Harry because it was a nickname for Henry in the first place). Instead he just nodded and followed Sirius out of the broken house. It hurt him to just leave Lily's body but knew they needed to get out of there before Death Eaters actually did start showing up. Once they were outside and on the street, Sirius had taken hold of Severus' arm and apparated them away. Severus was surprised when they had apparated onto another muggle street and not to Hogwarts but he didn't argue as he followed Black down the street, making sure his son stayed warm in the chilly October night.

It had just been a few hours before when the streets had been filled with trick-or-treaters begging for candy from strangers and Severus' mind wandered to know if James and Lily had taken Harry, all dressed up, through Godric's Hollow. He shook that thought away as the child in question snuffled and wiggled in his blanket. Severus tucked him closer to his chest and slowed his walk, hoping to keep his son asleep just a little bit longer. He knew they were almost there because they were coming to the end of the street.

That was when he saw a man in shadow and Severus paused in his steps. He stiffened as he tightened his hold on his son. Sirius saw this and also stopped walking. Both men stood there watching the man in shadow as he made his way towards them. Severus wanted to reach for his wand in his pocket but something stopped him from doing so as he watched Sirius not react to the man in the slightest. Severus only relaxed when the man approaching them came out of the shadows to reveal himself.

"Dumbledore." Severus sighed in relief.

"Severus, my boy, I am so sorry." Dumbledore was looking at the bundle wrapped in the dark haired man's arms.

Severus nodded, "What are we doing here?"

Severus looked at the house in front of him and frowned. He knew the house, it had been the place he and Lily had picked to raise their family before everything happened and his family had to go into hiding. It was in a small neighborhood actually not far from the location of Diagon Alley. Severus had been sure Dumbledore would be placing them into hiding once more, not allowing them to live a normal life. They obviously could not go into hiding in a house most people knew they had been looking at.

He had been proven wrong about the whole going into hiding when an hour later Severus was left alone in the new nursery with his son. He had yet to release the child from his arms and sat in the comfortably plush chair next to the crib. The nursery looked almost as Harry's from the house in Godric's Hollow... only it wasn't destroyed and the boy's mother wasn't laying dead on the floor.

When Dumbledore had taken Severus and Sirius through the house, the younger man had been surprised and a little unnerved that it looked almost exactly like how he and Lily had imagined it. They had talked about it in length for weeks but just before they were to buy the house, the Prophecy came to light and everything changed. It wasn't until Dumbledore had handed Severus a letter addressed to him. From Lily. It explained that Lily had a feeling what would happen this Halloween night and prepared so Severus had everything he would need to raise their son.

Severus sat up the rest of the night with his son in his arms, reading the letter over and over again. He was only vaguely aware of Sirius moving around the house downstairs coming morning light, fixing them breakfast. Harry had woken only once since they arrived wanting to be feed and needing to be changed. Severus had done all that without thinking about it even though he had never once done so before. It seemed he was moving on autopilot for the time being while he processed what happened the night before and what was to come.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry this has taken so long, I was debating with myself if I wanted to start this chapter a week from the start or years later. I decided to go with years later but there will be some flashbacks to help with information as I go. I cut this chapter in half because I was having a little bit of trouble making it flow together._

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Severus Snape stood in the sitting room with his arms crossed over his chest, within view of the stairs leading up to the second floor. It was Saturday and his son's sixth birthday. He had been talked into allowing a huge birthday bash once again and now because of that there were a dozen little snot nosed five and six year old children running around and making a mess of his home. At the moment the kids were at the stairs, causing Severus' current standing position.

The kids stood in twos, shoulder to shoulder at the bottom of the stairs. When they had first made their way through the house from the backyard, Severus had been a little confused as they marched their way to the stairs. First believing they were just heading up to his son's bedroom to play, he had watched as they lined up. He waited and suddenly the first pair, Draco Malfoy and Sirius and Remus' oldest boy Jamie were literally hopping up their stairs.

He and then understood what they were doing. It was a game the kids had come up with at Harry's fifth birthday just the year before. The kids would see how many of them could make it up the stairs while only hopping like they had been struck with _Locomotor Mortis_ curse. He watched as they worked to not use the wall or railing for support and if one of them stumbled on a step, they had to start all over. If a team made it to the top without stumbling or using any help, the other kids would cheer and the team would get a piece of candy from a bag they kept at the top of the landing.

Severus was pulled from his musings of Draco stumbling and blaming the smaller child that was his partner. Remus Lupin stepped up to his right, his and Sirius' seven month old son settled in his arms, sound asleep. Severus gave the sandy haired man a nod before returning his attention to the children. Draco and Jamie had seemed to make it up the stairs and now it was his son and the neighbor girl, Hermione Granger. They were already on the fifth step and Harry was trying to catch his balance without falling.

Young Hermione had turned out to be his sons best friend. The morning after that horrible night, Severus had taken his infant son outside for a little fresh air and while he sat on the front steps Harry had tried walking around. It was then that a two year old Hermione had wandered from her front yard and right up to them. She had started talking away to Harry as if they had been the best of friends already. When her mother came to fetch her, Mrs. Granger and Severus had gotten to talking, a huge surprise to Severus and suddenly over the next five years they had become good friends.

It had been around Hermione's fifth birthday when Severus started to take notice that the young girl was possibly a witch. Shortly after that while he watched to see if he was right, Hermione's parents had also taken notice that their daughter could do things. It had been then that Severus had decided to talk with them about magic and Hogwarts. He knew it probably wasn't right and should have waited until it was time for Hermione to attend Hogwarts but Severus didn't care. Michael and Elizabeth Granger were a little afraid at first but over the last year and a half they had come to terms with their only child being a witch. Severus tried to answer any question they had about magic and Hogwarts; as well as fix any sort of accidental magic Hermione caused.

"What are they doing?"

Severus took his eyes off the kids, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were now making their way up the stairs, and looked at Remus. The other man was watching the kids just as he had been. Next to Remus was Pansy's mother, Twyla. This was the first time another parent was at a party other than Severus, Remus, Sirius and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Usually the Malfoy's brought Blaise and Pansy with them when they arrived with their son Draco.

"They are playing Stair Hopping." Severus answered Twyla's question.

Severus returned his attention to the kids but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Sirius' face scrunch up in confusion. He knew this was the real first time that the kids had played the game with Sirius around as the other man was usually doing some sort of mission for Dumbledore; when he wasn't pregnant with his and Remus' children that is.

"Is that safe?" Sirius finally asked.

"They're fine." Remus replied.

Severus nodded. Even after the last five years of raising his son with the help of Sirius and Remus, along with Lucius and Narcissa, Severus still had problems with being around a large group of people. It was usually just Lucius or Sirius coming around seeing if Severus or Harry needed anything. A lot of them time Lucius would drop Draco, and sometimes Blaise and Pansy off for a _play date_ or Sirius would bring Jamie; even though he is two years younger than the rest of the children. This was the first year that Pansy's mother and younger sister Iris showed up; along with Blaise's mother. His father had stayed home along with Blaise's two older brothers. Then there was Hermione and her parents, Neville Longbottom with his grandmother Augusta and surprisingly, Ted and Andromeda Tonks with their daughter Nymphadora. Severus had been a little more than surprised when they had shown up with the Malfoys. His surprise hadn't lasted long when Lucius had pulled him aside and told him that Narcissa and Andromeda and talked and were slowly building a friendship once again. Severus was happy for the sisters after everything that had happened between them and the rest of their family.


End file.
